


Red Strings

by araleebo



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - Delinquent, Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vamipres, Alternate Universe- Angels and Demons, Amnesia, Deaf Character, F/M, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Single Parents, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27382261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/araleebo/pseuds/araleebo
Summary: A collection of one/two shots of AU's, tropes, and situations Fairy Tail ships are put in. There will be some stories of different ships in the same timeline/universe as another one/two-shot.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Zeref Dragneel/Mavis Vermillion
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Red Strings

**Author's Note:**

> Deaf Juvia x Gray in a modern setting.

Juvia hurried through the train station, sprinting to board the train before it left. She looked at her watch, seeing that she would barely make it. As she rushed forward, she ran straight into someone who had been walking backward. Her bag skid across the ground as she fell, landing on her back with her knees bent. Thankfully, her long, tan, pleated skirt had stayed down. The black turtleneck she was wearing seemed to be in acceptable shape as well.

As she stood, the tall middle-aged man she'd bumped into glared at her. She looked up at him, bowing apologetically before she looked around frantically for her bag. After a few seconds, her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled toward the man as he glared at her.

"I told you to properly apologize, young lady!" he demanded. His expression was one of rage and anger. She then noticed the large coffee stain on his white collared shirt. She hadn't meant to run into him and he'd come out of nowhere. Still, she decided to take the blame to try and resolve the situation. It was mostly her fault, anyway.

She nodded, moving to bring her hand back down to apologize and explain. His grip on her tightened. Tears came to her eyes as he squeezed her wrist. Her phone was in her bag and she didn't have anything to write with. Juvia hesitated, panic clouding her thoughts. Finally, she lowered her gaze, reluctantly opening her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything, the man grabbed her cheeks and forced her to look up at him.

"What are you, deaf?! I've told you to apologize to me! It's only polite after what you did! It's not hard, is it?!"

Before Juvia could answer, she was swept up in a warm embrace, finally freed from the clutches of the man. A strong forearm was wrapped around her torso and the man's hand had been pried from her wrist. She looked up, finding the face of a man she didn't recognize.

"Couldn't you see you were hurting her? She only knocked you over because she was in a hurry and you weren't looking where you were going. And so what if she spilled a little coffee on you? You don't have to get violent over it. Just leave before someone calls the cops. You attracted a lot of attention."

The businessman fumed, his face red with anger before turning around and storming away. The one who'd saved her released her from his hold. She turned around quickly to get a better look at him. Upon seeing his face, it was clear that he was even more handsome than she thought.

"-fucking bastard. Are you okay?" he asked. Though she didn't catch the first part, she nodded enthusiastically at his question. "Good. Here you go."

He placed her large, light blue tote in her hands, a blush forming on her cheeks as she looked at it. She then hurriedly looked back up at her hero. He was already walking away from her. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him leave. Suddenly, she looked at her watch in panic. She'd missed her train. She would have to text her cousin to pick her up from the station and give her a ride to her first day of college. The only reason she tried to take the train was to relieve some of his stress in the first place.

Juvia hung her head in defeat as she sat in her cousin's expensive car. At the red light, he tapped her hand, urging her to look up at him. He looked very much like his mother, Juvia's aunt, with his facial structure, deep blue eyes, and slightly wavy hair resembling hers greatly. However, like his father he had a red tattoo over his right eye. It would be an off-putting trait for a businessman to have if his features weren't as gentle and kind as they were. He began to weave signs with his hands, his gaze filled with worry..

" _What happened? I thought you wanted to be more independent. I don't mind doing this for you, but I need to know if you're okay_."

Juvia offered a half-hearted smile.

" _I'm okay, I promise. I just missed my train._ "

He pursed his lips before looking up at the light. It had just turned green. He had to wait until the next one to continue. Thankfully, there weren't any until they stopped in front of the campus. The station by their apartment wasn't too far away from the university, but Juvia had thought it would be faster and safer to ride the train. He tapped her hand again. This time, he offered her a smile.

"Good luck. Erza's taking you back from your classes today, okay?"

She smiled in return, nodding at him before hopping out of his car and hurrying off to her class, Fashion Marketing.

* * *

Juvia sighed quietly, flipping through her textbook with a solemn expression. Her cousin, Jellal, was overprotective. He blamed himself for what happened to her all those years ago. She always thought that he'd been wrong about things being dangerous by herself. She was the same as before. She just couldn't hear anymore. Now, after what happened just a few hours before, she couldn't help but agree with him. Until she fully adjusted to life in the city, it would be best if she was accompanied by someone when she went out.

She was pulled from her thoughts by being tapped on the shoulder. She jolted, turning to look at a group of three women in surprise. From left to right, there was a woman with short platinum hair, a blonde, and a short bluenette. They all smiled at her warmly.

"Hi! We saw you sitting by yourself in class earlier and were wondering if you'd like to sit with us, next time. We're thinking of forming a study group and are looking for a fourth member for projects. Are you interested?" the blonde in the middle asked.

Juvia looked at them in surprise. The three stood in place, the smiles on their faces unwavering. She quickly took out her phone and began to type. The girls looked at her curiously, though they didn't stop their smiles. Once Juvia had finished, she showed them her phone.

"'Juvia can't hear. Are you sure you want her in your group?'" the bluenette on the right read aloud. "You're Juvia, right?"

Juvia nodded. The three girls looked at each other before turning back to Juvia, their smiles much less aggressively friendly than before.

"Then you should rely on us to help you if you get confused! Do you have another class right now or are you free?" the blonde asked. "We're going to meet up for lunch with some friends and if you have some time, you should join us."

Juvia blushed slightly and nodded in agreement. The girl with platinum hair offered Juvia her hand with a smile.

"Hi, Juvia-san! I'm Lisanna. The ones next to me are Lucy and Levy," Lisanna explained, Lucy and Levy waving as their names were spoken. "Let's become good friends, alright?"

Juvia nodded again, taking her textbook and putting it in her bag before taking Lisanna's hand to help her up. The three girls led her off-campus and to a nearby cafe. Levy, Lucy, and Lisanna headed toward a small group of people at a table on the patio. As Juvia looked around, her expression brightened and she hurried over to a familiar face.

A woman with long red hair was sipping an extra sweet cup of coffee when Juvia ran over, a smile on her face.

"Oh, Juvia? What are you doing here? Is your class over already? I thought I still had some time. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Erza asked in surprise. Juvia signed happily at Erza who laughed and looked at the three girls behind her. They were staring at Juvia in shock.

"Thanks for bringing her here, girls," Erza said with a smile, standing up and ruffling Juvia's head. "This is Juvia. She's Jellal's younger cousin. I was supposed to pick her up a little later this afternoon, but I guess your class got out earlier than she thought. I didn't know you three were taking Fashion Marketing, though."

Juvia turned to greet the group with a bow. A young man with pink hair leered at her, looking her over thoroughly. She flinched, wondering what he was doing. Lucy walked over, taking her fist and tapping it against his head hard enough to hurt, but not quite enough to do damage.

"Stop doing that, Natsu. It's rude and you're freaking her out!"

Natsu turned to look at Lucy in complaint.

"But Luce! She was doing a weird thing with her hands!."

"It's called sign language, stupid!"

The two continued to bicker, causing Juvia to let out a quiet giggle as she watched them. They looked at her in confusion as she turned to Erza, weaving a few more signs. Erza looked surprised for a moment before smiling.

"What'd she say?" Lucy asked.

"That you two remind her of her parents."

Lucy blushed furiously and looked at Juvia, who only giggled again. Lucy's alarm faded before changing into a strange look of happy exasperation. She then turned to Erza with a smile.

"So you know sign language?"

"Yeah. I learned with Jellal, Juvia, and her friend Gajeel after the accident. I can't use it, though. I'm not great at moving my hands like that. I guess they're only good for kendo," she explained with a laugh. She then looked toward the young woman that Lisanna had sat down next to. They had the same hair, eyes, and facial structure, clearly indicating their relation. Next to them was an incredibly muscular man with a scar on his face, also sporting the same hair and eye color.

Lisanna noticed Juvia looking in that direction and smiled.

"This is my big sister, Mirajane, and my brother, Elfman," she explained happily, gesturing to her siblings. "And over there is Cana. She's had an interesting morning."

Juvia turned to look at a brunette sleeping on the table with a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Mirajane waved at Juvia happily, attracting her attention.

"Do you really not mind talking about what happened?" she asked curiously. It seemed that was what she and Erza had been talking about. She shook her head, then signed something to Erza. As she read the signs, Erza translated aloud.

"She says that if anyone ever wants to know, you can ask. It was a tough experience, but she'd rather not think of it as something painful or bad-" she paused, smiling and ruffling Juvia's hair. "-because she was able to bring me and Jellal closer. She likes it when he's happy. "

She blushed slightly as Lisanna, Mirajane, Levy, and Lucy smiled at her.

"Manly," Elfman noted, causing Juvia to laugh a little bit. Suddenly, Natsu's dull expression lifted as he shot out of his seat, rolling up his sleeves. Juvia looked at him in surprise.

"Gray! You're here, you bastard! Come over here and fight me! I haven't had a good fight in a week!" he exclaimed, clearly very loudly as it attracted the attention of the people around him. Juvia turned to where Natsu was looking, only to lock eyes with her hero from that morning.

"You-" he began before Erza tapped Juvia's shoulder. Though she wanted to talk to Gray, she would always turn when Jellal, Erza, or Gajeel wanted to talk to her. It was almost like they'd trained her to do so, no matter the circumstance.

"Do you know Gray?" she asked. Juvia nodded, quickly turning away from Gray to explain the situation that morning. She weaved the signs, her movements becoming frantic as she tried to power past the part where she'd been grabbed for spilling some coffee on someone.

" _And then he just swooped in and saved me like the hero of a romance novel!_ "

Erza stared at her with a strictness behind her gaze. Juvia could feel herself begin to sweat under the pressure. Suddenly, she looked up at Gray in annoyance.

"She can't hear you calling out to her, Gray. She's deaf."

Juvia flinched, suddenly turning toward Gray with a sad expression. The blunt explanation had never hurt before, yet for some reason, she didn't like it being told that way to him. Whenever it happened, pity always clouded the eyes of whoever found out. It hadn't happened earlier with Erza's friends, which she was happy to see, but she definitely didn't want Gray to look at her that way. It was such a strange feeling, especially since she'd only met him that morning.

He stared at her in surprise before looking up at Erza, who nodded affirmatively as if to say that she wasn't lying.

"So you really were deaf?! Is that why you wouldn't react to all of the shit that the awful bastard was yelling at you when you were looking for your bag or when you wouldn't apologize?!"

It was Juvia's turn to be surprised. She had no idea that the man had been saying things like that to her. She was almost glad that she wasn't able to hear them.

Erza's face flashed with alarm as she grabbed Juvia's shoulders, spinning the small girl around and looking her in the eyes, fire burning behind them.

"So I didn't misinterpret that you were harassed by someone. Does your cousin know?"

Juvia shook her head violently. She frantically moved her hands.

" _The last time someone hurt me, he blamed himself! You can't tell him!_ "

Erza rubbed her temples and sighed softly.

"Fine. I won't tell him. I agree that he shouldn't get any more worked up."

Juvia's expression brightened and she quickly hugged Erza. She then turned toward Gray, who was keeping Natsu at an arm's length as he desperately tried to punch Gray.

"Would you stop that? I'm tired, okay? I have a class later and I spent all of last night working in the research lab. It's the beginning of the new semester and they're working us to the bone already. I just got a few hours of sleep."

Juvia recalled him leaving the station, though he was clearly a student like her. He'd been leaving the university and on his way home. That meant he lived closeby. Her heart fluttered at the thought of running into him again and she smiled. She hurriedly walked over and pulled out her phone from the bag around her shoulder, typing something before handing him the device and bowing. Gray shoved Natsu away, taking the phone in his other hand and quickly reading the message. He then placed a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up.

"So your name is Juvia? You don't have to thank me for saving you from that middle-aged grump. It was nothing special."

Juvia shook her head violently, typing something again and returning the phone to him.

" _It was very special to Juvia. From the bottom of her heart, thank you, Gray-sama._ "

Gray blushed slightly and handed the phone back to her.

"You don't have to call me that. Gray is fine."

 _"Juvia prefers Gray-sama... Do you mind?_ "

He hesitantly shook his head. A bright smile came to her face, followed by a quiet giggle. He then looked up at Erza.

"How do you know Juvia, Erza?"

Juvia watched as Gray was once again surprised.

"But you look nothing like Jellal."

She pouted slightly. She was always hearing about how similar they looked. To her, it had always been a compliment. She knew that her aunt, mother, and cousin were always complimented for their looks. Did that mean that Gray didn't think she was pretty? She didn't bother to look up and read his lips again. If he said something else unintentionally hurtful, she'd end up being upset.

Suddenly, he placed his hand on her head. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks.

"I'll see you around, Juvia. I only stopped by to say hi to everyone before my class starts," he explained, then turned to leave.

She waved at him meekly as she left, continuing to blush. Natsu slung his arm around her shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise. She turned to him, watching Gray leave with her.

"-vable. Don't waste your shot, Juvia-chan."

She looked at him in confusion. It was quickly interrupted by Lucy smacking him on the head again, dragging him back to the table by the scarf around his neck before gesturing for Juvia to follow with a smile. As Juvia walked toward the table, she turned back to where Gray walked.

She couldn't help but want to know more about him.

* * *

Over the next few months, Juvia and Gray had gotten close. It started with Juvia finding out she and Jellal lived in the same building as Gray. He was only a few floors down. It shouldn't have been too surprising since it was affordable and close to campus. When she came across him on university grounds or in the streets, she would end up following him around from a distance, watching carefully. She wasn't exactly sure why she did it, but he ended up noticing and called her to walk with him when she saw him.

After that, they exchanged phone numbers and began to text. Juvia was able to be her usual expressive self when they were messaging. She eventually got the numbers of her new friend group. It suddenly felt like her world had gotten much bigger. Both before and after the accident, she'd been quite popular. Her pleasant demeanor and the positive air about her made people happy. But just because she was like didn't mean she had many close friends. The only one she'd ever had was the feared Gajeel Redfox. It took a while for her to win them over, but he was a surprisingly loyal and supportive friend.

Their relationship was purely platonic on both ends, of course. A large part of what brought them as close together as they were was the loss of both of their parents. If Juvia hadn't been taken in by her cousin, aunt, and uncle, she might not have been able to cope as well as she had. Of course, it still hurt and she missed them more every passing day, but having Gajeel with her, who understood her pain, was what truly held her together. She was a year behind him and he hadn't gone to college, but they still messaged back and forth. He was going to visit the city that weekend since he had a few days off. He'd been wanting to check on Juvia for a while.

Late at night as she cleaned up for Gajeel's visit, there was a knock at the door. Juvia, of course, didn't respond to it. It was the feeling of her phone vibrating in her apron pocket, however, that got her out of her cleaning trance. Surprisingly, it was Gray. He was rarely the one to initiate conversation.

" _Hey, I'm outside. My mom made some extra food for you and your cousin and dropped it off earlier today."_

Unlike Juvia, Gray always used informal speech. Even back when they were strangers.

Juvia hurried to the door, swinging it open with a smile before stepping to the side to let Gray into the large apartment. He had two large tote bags filled to the brim with food that he lugged into the spacious kitchen. He lifted them onto the black marble counter. Juvia hurriedly unpacked them, smiling at the large portions. She reached for her phone, quickly sending Gray a text.

" _Gray-sama, please tell your mother thank you!!! Niisan and Juvia really love her food. I'm sure Gajeel-kun will too!_ "

"'Gajeel-kun?'" Gray read aloud in surprise. He looked at Juvia in confusion, who was happily storing the packaged food in the large refrigerator. He tapped her shoulder and waited for her to look at him. "Who's Gajeel?"

Juvia's expression brightened at his name, turning and lifting her phone off the counter to type happily.

" _Gajeel-kun has been Juvia's best friend since her first year of middle school. He helped Juvia through hard times and Juvia helped him. She hasn't seen him since she moved to the city for college and he's coming over this weekend. Juvia's so excited to see him again!_ "

Gray's expression soured. She looked at him, tilting her head slightly. She lit up again, thinking she realized what was going on.

" _Don't worry, Gray-sama! Juvia will introduce you and everyone to him! You'll see he's a nice person! He even helped Juvia learn sign language!_ "

She turned away, going back to restocking her refrigerator. Gray smiled sadly as he watched her.

"As if that's what I'm worried about..."

She looked at him in confusion. She could've sworn that she saw him finish saying something. She picked up her phone again.

" _Did you say something, Gray-sama? Juvia knows it's easy to forget that she's like this, but she still can't hear you._ "

Juvia smiled at him as he read the message. He looked up at her, beginning to shake his head before stopping.

"Can you teach me sign language? "

She stared at him in bewilderment before looking back down at her phone.

" _Why does Gray-sama want to learn sign language? Juvia's perfectly fine talking like this._ "

He paused again, looking at her seriously.

"You just seem more comfortable with it," he explained. "What about speaking? You got hurt in your third year of middle school, so you should be able to talk, right?"

Juvia flinched at his question. She ran the phone over with her fingers, squeezing it tightly as she stared at it. It was hard for her to answer that question. Gray pushed it down, urging her to direct her gaze at him.

"Juvia, if you don't want to explain it, it's okay."

She hesitated, before shaking her head. She gestured to the large black couch before walking over and taking a seat on it. Juvia then gently pat the cushion with a sad smile. He sat down next to her and turned to face her. She mimicked the action, knowing it was so she would be able to read his lips better. She lifted up her phone and began to type.

Gray sat in anxious silence, watching her thumbs move. He didn't know why he began to ask about her. He didn't understand why he'd felt so strange when she told him about Gajeel. It sounded like he took good care of her and was like a second brother, but Gray still had a sinking feeling in his chest when he thought about it.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up at Juvia, who seemed eerily void of joy. It was unlike her to look so distraught. He didn't understand why until he read the message.

" _When Juvia was in her third year of junior high, she was attacked when she was walking home. She usually walked with Jellal-niisan or Gajeel-kun since the junior high was on the way home from the high school, but Jellal-niisan had been sick and stayed home that day and Gajeel-kun had a part-time job. Juvia lived in a nice neighborhood so she wasn't worried, but as she turned to take a short cut down an alleyway she found a mugger standing over someone bleeding out. They'd been hit on the head with a pipe._

_"Juvia tried to call out for help and run away to find someone to save the dying man, but her attacker grabbed her and covered her mouth. She looked around for something to protect herself with and found a plank of wood. Before she could get free and grab it, he pushed her to the ground and struck her over the head with the pipe. Juvia wasn't unconscious yet, so she tried to get someone's attention by making as much noise as possible._

_"Juvia doesn't remember much after that, but when she woke up she couldn't hear anything. The doctors said that because they didn't find her soon enough, it was too late to save her hearing. It's why Gajeel-kun and Jellal-niisan feel guilty. Juvia thinks that it happened before she was knocked out, though. Besides, the damage could have been worse so Juvia is thankful."_

Gray squeezed his phone, looking up at Juvia with fury in his eyes. She offered him a kind smile, typing another sentence.

" _Juvia had a lot of scars for a while, but they're mostly gone now. The big ugly scar on the back of her neck is still the only one left. It's why she doesn't wear her hair up."_

He looked up again. Juvia had turned around and lifted her hair. A large scar ran up from her lower hairline at the back of her head and into her mass of blue locks. Gray looked down at his phone, rereading her story.

"Is the reason..." he began, then raised his head so she could read his lips. "Is the reason you don't like to talk because the last thing you heard was your voice like that? Panicked and scared? Does speaking bring back those memories?"

She stared at him for a moment. He looked so upset. She slowly took his free hand, giving it a tight squeeze. She then typed with the opposite one.

" _Don't be sad, Gray-sama. Juvia's okay! Things could've been a lot worse. She's lucky that she only lost her hearing. If she'd lost the ability to move her hands, then she wouldn't be able to make clothes like she's always wanted to... or talk to Gray-sama at all!_ "

A light blush came to Gray's ears as his gaze rose from his phone and landed on Juvia.

"I'm okay, Juvia. Your cousin will be home soon. Enjoy the food," he said, a solemnity behind his tone.

She nodded hesitantly as he walked toward the door. Before he left, his phone buzzed.

" _Why did Gray-sama ask about Juvia's voice?"_

He smiled at her sadly.

"I want you to be comfortable when you talk to me... and I thought it would be nice to hear sometime. Can you teach me sign language instead?"

She smiled and nodded, waving at him from the couch as he left.

"Gray-sama is cute when he's being strange..." she thought, undefinable sadness in her inner voice. "But Juvia doesn't like seeing him sad."

* * *

Over the next couple of months, Juvia kept her promise and began to teach Gray sign language. The two of them sat in Juvia's room at a small square table on the floor, reviewing vocabulary. Gajeel's visit had been quite shocking to everyone but Natsu, Jellal, and Erza, who had seen him before. Nobody had expected sweet Juvia's closest and oldest friend to be over six feet tall, as muscular as Elfman, and pierced in multiple places along his body. Least of all did they expect Natsu and Gajeel to be childhood rivals.

Juvia, of course, managed to show everyone Gajeel's soft side by showing them pictures of them in middle school. Most of them depicted Gajeel's love of cats and other small animals. It suddenly made sense why he was so attracted to Levy upon first meeting her. What didn't make sense was that the attraction was returned. Levy was never one to go for the meatheads or brutes. She always liked people who were thoughtful and intelligent. Apparently, she saw something in Gajeel that caught her eye. They exchanged contact information and messaged each other in their free time. Gajeel was already planning another trip. This time, it would be for a week.

Somehow, after seeing how Gajeel was around Juvia in comparison to Levy, he felt a little lighter. It was also made clear that their friendship was strictly platonic after Gray got to know Gajeel a bit more. One night, Gray had started smoking in front of his building when Gajeel ran out to go to the convenience store. As the building's doors closed behind him, Gajeel looked at Gray in surprise.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he'd asked gruffly.

"Smoking. I do it sometimes when I get antsy. I'm happy to share if-"

Gajeel looked at him in disgust.

"I'm not going to poison myself with that garbage!"

"It's some good garbage, though. Helps me clear my head," Gray replied. Gajeel waved the smoke away.

"Juvia lets you smoke? She doesn't keep as tight of a leash on you as she did her last boyfriend."

Gray suddenly choked on the smoke in his lungs.

"Boyfriend?! I'm not her boyfriend! And she's not in control of what I do!"

Gajeel furrowed his pierced eyebrows.

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

He paused, shaking his head.

"No, you're definitely her boyfriend. Why else would you be acting all weird and possessive?"

"What... What are you talking about?" Gray hesitantly dismissed.

"Oh, c'mon. You were clearly fuckin' jealous of me when Juvia got excited and jumped on me. I keep tellin' her I'm not a jungle gym but she just gets that way when she cares about someone a lot and hasn't seen them in a while... or a few days. She doesn't look like it but she's a possessive person."

"Right? She gets surprisingly clingy and- Wait, I was not!"

Gajeel let out a hearty laugh.

"You're really not? You looked like you wanted to wring my neck in the middle of the train station! And why the hell did you even come with her anyway?! Jellal and Erza were there!" he exclaimed, continuing to laugh.

"I was worried... She told me about what happened to her and I didn't want it to happen again. I know why you, Erza, and Jellal are so protective, now."

Gajeel seemed surprised by his explanation.

"Well, how much do you know?"

"What? I know everything about how she lost her hearing."

"I mean, how much did she tell you?"

"Everything."

"So... she didn't just say that she was attacked by a mugger? She went into details and stuff?"

Gray hesitantly nodded, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the conversation to skim through it. She definitely explained it thoroughly.

"I asked her why she didn't speak and she told me what happened. I didn't get a clear answer, but I think I figured it out. It's trauma, right?"

Gajeel shrugged. Gray rolled his eyes and took in another puff of smoke.

"She never told me why. When she got better, she just stopped talking. Jellal and Erza asked if it was because she was worried she would sound strange, but that wasn't it. I don't think even she knows the exact reason why, but trauma is a pretty good guess."

Gray nodded, looking at the cigarette in his hand. Even though he'd started a while ago, it didn't seem to be working. He still felt just as confused and muddled as before.

"Did Juvia not let her last boyfriend smoke?" Gray asked.

"She never dates anyone who smokes. She just hates the smell. It makes her sick. I think it's 'cause of something bad from when she was a kid."

Gray nodded, smothering the cigarette in the ashtray on top of the nearby trashcan.

"So you're not her boyfriend, but you want to be."

He looked up at Gajeel in surprise, who had suddenly become very stern.

"Juvia's life hasn't been easy, but she smiles for the sake of others. She's scared that if she stops smiling people will get sad or pity her. She doesn't mention it, but she hates when people look down on or feel sorry for her. She likes you a lot, so if you think that what you're feeling is pity instead of love, leave her alone," he paused, then slammed his fist into his palm with a deadly glint in his eyes. "Oh, and if you make her cry and I'll pop your tiny head off of your body. Got it? I hate it when she cries. It's not easy to handle."

Gray stared at Gajeel, completely confused by what had just happened. After a moment, he cleared his throat and walked to the building's door to go back inside. He turned to look at Gajeel.

"I understand. But even without your threat, I already know that I would never hurt her. At least, not on purpose."

Gajeel nodded and smiled, continuing his walk to the store around the corner.

Since Gajeel left, Gray had been trying to figure out what he felt for Juvia. He ruled out pity a long time ago since he wasn't the type of person who would treat someone differently because of a disability. Besides, how could he pity Juvia? She was incredible. She had relearned how to operate as a member of society and achieve her goal. Even fully capable had trouble chasing their dreams. A few weeks ago he'd figured it out what he'd been feeling.

There had been a loud ringing in Juvia's ears for a few days but hadn't said anything about it. Instead, like Gajeel had said, she continued to smile for the sake of others. It wasn't until she fainted from the pain that anyone noticed that something was wrong. He'd been so upset with her for not telling him. Truthfully, he still was. When he'd asked himself why he was so angry, the answer hit him like a freight train.

Juvia pulled him from his thoughts by closing the sign language study book in front of him. He looked at her, watching her hands as she moved them.

" _Gray-sama? Are you okay?_ "

He nodded, a small smile coming to his face as she spelled out his name. He was able to most sentences and questions, but he was having trouble signing as fluidly as Juvia did. His sentences were sloppy and awkward, though she didn't seem to bother her as much as it did him.

"You don't have to be brave around me."

She seemed shocked by the sudden statement. Gray was, too. He hadn't meant to say it, only think it. The words just slipped out of his mouth.

" _What do you mean, Gray-sama_?"

He paused before answering.

"Nothing."

She hesitantly nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks as she frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Ever since they first started hanging out, Juvia had blushed a lot. She also tended to sit closer to him than he was used to, hurry over to him when she ran into him in large crowds, and sometimes she clung to him upon meeting for the first time in a while. Gajeel mentioned she was the type to be fond of skinship.

Juvia took out her phone and began to type. Gray instinctively took out his and waited for the message. When he read it, his heart jumped up into his chest. It was alarming how easily she figured him out, not that he was being entirely subtle.

" _Don't worry, Gray-sama. Juvia is okay now. She's taking some medication and was told to eat and drink more water."_

He frowned, looking at her seriously.

"It's not okay to keep this stuff to yourself. You have people who worry about you. I know you're trying to be strong for us... but just try to rely on me. At least a little."

She looked at him in alarm, furiously typing more.

" _Juvia does rely on Gray-sama!_ "

"Then why didn't you tell me that you were hurting. Do you know how worried I was when Erza called me to say that you'd collapsed?"

Guilt weighed in her eyes as she continued to type.

" _Juvia didn't want you to worry, Gray-sama..._ "

"You made me worry more than if we'd taken you to a doctor beforehand."

She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Gray reached out and took her hand, a frown remaining on his face as his anger left him. What was left was sadness.

"Don't cry... I'm not angry. I'm hurt. It felt like you didn't trust me, Juvia."

She pulled her hand away and began to sign.

" _That's worse! I never want to cause Gray-sama pain!_ "

An inkling of a smile formed on his face, though his expression was still hurt. She always signed out his name, though she didn't do the same with her own.

"When you're in pain, it hurts me too. Got it?"

Her face suddenly flushed at the simple statement. Even the smallest sentiment could easily overwhelm her as long as it came from Gray. She quickly grabbed her cheeks, looking around frantically as she struggled to calm herself. Gray could practically see the thoughts racing through her head. It was too cute. He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He swiftly moved up to his knees, leaning on the table with one hand and using the other to grab Juvia's chin and lift it up to meet with his lips.

For the first few seconds, Juvia did nothing. She was too stunned to react. Yet as the kiss continued, she rose from her sitting position and slowly moved to grasp the back of his head to pull him closer. Neither could tell whose heartbeat was whose, both beating faster than they thought was possible from a single kiss.

Eventually, Juvia's legs lost their strength and she slipped back down onto the pillow she'd been sitting on, separating the two. Her cheeks were deep red as her eyes refused to focus. Gray smirked to himself. He hadn't kissed anyone since high school, two years ago. Apparently, kissing was just like riding a bike.

Gray sunk back down to the ground, waiting for her to recover as she grabbed the workbook and fanned her face with it. As soon as she calmed down, she shakily asked a question.

" _Why did you do that_?"

He looked at her trembling hands, frowning slightly.

"Did you not like it?"

She quickly shook her head.

" _I'm confused about why Gray-sama would kiss me._ "

"Oh, right," he mumbled to himself. Juvia didn't entirely catch what he'd said, but she blushed again as she watched Gray sit up straight and weave out signs. He pointed to his face, then at Juvia's before rubbing the back of his hand. There was a rosiness to his cheeks as he met her eyes, a shy look in them. "Got it?"

She teared up as her eyes glimmered with hope.

" _Really?_ "

"Yeah..."

Juvia's expression brightened as she stood up, leaping over the low table and tackling Gray into a hug. It was unexpected and he almost fell over, but her reaction was most definitely welcomed. She sat sideways in his lap with a large smile on her face, her arms wrapped around Gray's neck happily. He gently nudged her by straightening the arm supporting her, prompting her to look up at him.

"What about you?"

She looked at him in surprise before a smile came to her face. Gray watched in awe as Juvia opened her mouth.

"Juvia loves you too, Gray-sama!"


End file.
